Ask

Today I want to encourage you to “ask”! I want you to be bold in your prayers, and recognise that our Father is infinite and power and nothing is impossible for Him. I am not saying you will get absolutely everything you ask for of course, but let us not limit God by asking for the smallest and most tiny thing we can think of.

I would rather ask for a lot and get half, than ask for nothing and get it all!

Prayer is not primarily about asking God for what we want. Our prayer lives should not simply reflect a list of our wants and needs, but reflect our worshipful heart. That said, God is able to do abundantly more than we could ever ask or think!  So let’s not limit Him by praying small.

You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask.

James 4:2 (WEB)

Here, in the letter of James, he warns us not to fight and quarrel to obtain the things we want. Rather, we should ask God and be content with the answer. You do not have because you do not ask. Let that not be true for any of us! If we lack anything, let it be because it is God’s will, not because we dared not ask our loving Father for it.

“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.

Luke 11:9 (WEB)

Here Jesus encourages us not to give up. This is not an instruction to nag God into doing what we want, but rather to recognise that some prayers are not easily answered and we must persevere to achieve them. Prayer is often a journey and it can be long! When Daniel prayed twice, Gabriel answered him once in a matter of minutes and the second in a matter of weeks. What if Daniel had given up after a day? He might never have received the second answer.

Don’t give up! Ask, and keep on asking. If it is made clear that what you are asking for is not for you, or not God’s will, then yes, stop and seek the Lord for something else. Otherwise, dig in and keep praying until you see the breakthrough. And always remember that the answer you get may not look like what you imagined!

Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.

John 16:24 (WEB)

Again, Jesus instructs us to ask. This time though, He gives us the enormous privilege of using His very Name to pray. When we pray in Jesus’ Name, we are coming before God not in our own strength or performance but presenting all that He is and has achieved. It is like walking out into a busy street and trying to stop the traffic. If I do that wearing plain clothes, then people will likely just drive on by. If I walk out wearing a police uniform, carrying a badge though, then I carry with me authority and you an almost guarantee that traffic will stop when I raise my hand. Christ’s Name is your uniform and badge in the spiritual realm.

These are but a mere handful of verses where we are encouraged to “ask.” We sometimes pray like we are bothering God, and overuse the word “just” time and time again. Let there be no “just” about our prayers, but instead they ought to be big and bold. I believe it pleases God when we pray big, because it recognises that it is Him who answers them. If I pray for small things I can achieve myself, then I have little need of God. IF I pray for things so vast that only a truly awesome God can answer, then I am proclaiming the greatness of our Heavenly Father.

Ask, and keep on asking today! What have you been praying for lately? How can you ramp up those prayers?

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for reading this, and any other of my posts. I am both surprised and humbled to note that May 2021 was one of the busiest months (in terms of views) my blog has ever had. Site views are not the be all and end all, but it is encouraging to us as writers. Thank you so much for reading, and please do share with anyone you think might enjoy it too. In the theme of the above, I pray that June 2021 is twice as big as May was, in Jesus’ Name! And if you are a blogger, then I pray the same for you as well! God bless you!